Chile, part 2

We arrived in Santiago on Thursday morning and we were to head back home on Tuesday night. We decided it would be fun to take a tour to maximize our last two days in Chile, and so we set one up through Liz Caskey. We visited the coast abotu an hour's drive west of Santiago, spent the night at a winery, and then visited some coastal towns the next day before heading back to the airport.

We left the W early on Monday morning and were picked up by Annette, our guide from last year's visit. Carter remembered her and was excited to see her! We hit the road, excited to get out of the city for a couple of days. Carter took this picture of me in the car.



Our first stop was at a winery along the way to the coast. We had a tour and tasted wine, and Carter was very patient!







From the winery we drove to the dramatic and beautiful coast.



We had lunch at a seaside restaurant in the village of Quintay.















After lunch we spent a little time hanging out on the beach in this incredibly picturesque setting. The fishing boats are real, not just for show like they would be in many more touristy places. This is one of the things that's really cool about Chile!

















From there we headed to the guest house of the Matetich Winery. We stayed there last year as well, and we were really excited to return! It's nestled in a beautiful valley near the town of San Antonio. There are about 8 guest rooms, but it feels very private, as if you're staying there all alone.





Doug and I visited the winery that afternoon while Mom and Carter explored the grounds and played on the playground.











Watching this helicopter take off was a highlight for Carter!



When we came back from the winery Carter was hanging out in Mom's room playing.



We hung out in the Casona's lounge before dinner, enjoying some wine and listening to our radio show on Sirius (which we managed to stream through the Casona's wireless). Carter was a little taller and better able to tackle the pool table this year.



Dinner was served in our own private dining room, and it was fantastic.



This is one of the things that's amazing about traveling in South America: you couldn't get an experience like this in North America, Europe, or Asia for this price. It's just so special to have a private dining experience with our own waiter, in a beautifully appointed room. We felt like the only guests there!

There were sofas in our dining room, and it wasn't long before Carter fell asleep on one. That was actually quite convenient, since we could relax and enjoy our meal!



We turned in early and got a good night's sleep! I'll post the last part of our trip tomorrow. :-)